johngottfredson
Threat Level Midnight
- Location
- Alpine
Ok, so the time has come for me to lose some more money on an unnecessary purchase. I've had the honest discussion with the wife about my Vehicle Purchase Compulsion Syndrome (VPCS), and we have decided that since in most other respects I'm a decent person, we can adopt a position of symptom management, rather than try to cure the VPCS outright.
Specifically, if I plan on selling the vehicle before I even purchase it, I will perhaps limit the amount of money that will be lost when I actually sell. For example, I bought my 97 lx450 stock, swore I'd keep it forever (for REAL this time!), proceeded to build it up awesome, sold it at a strong price, and still lost many thousands. I then bought an already built 2008 land cruiser, drove it a bit until the itch was scratched, and was able to sort of break even when I sold it. I liked that transaction better.
SO, with that background, here's what I'm after:
-Fun Factor - must get the whole family out (wife and 4 kids, ages 3-12). Fun trails, camping, and a fun vehicle itself. I have a dirt bike for my own thrill rides, this will be family oriented.
- Low maintenance. I hate wrenching. I'm bad at it, don't like it, won't do it. I'm skeptical of older vehicles. Also, I have a weird personality quirk where I have a low tolerance for problems - or potential problems. On the lx450, we replaced the complete brake system and cooling system, not because it failed, but because I accidentally found the nuts on ih8mud who scared me into all sorts of unnecessary preventative maintenance. In the future, I'd rather lose money in depreciation than repairs.
- Minimal mods. My heavily built 200 had a much tougher time on fins-n-things than the non-rubicon jku on 35's and 2" lift, which in turn had a much harder time than the rzr we we're with. Not only do I want to avoid the cost and effort of off road mods which will be lost on resell, I don't want to try and force a vehicle to be what the original engineers did not intend.
- Capable. I'm not a serious rock crawler, but this vehicle should be able to do most of the major Moab trails without super amazing driving skills or major damage.
- Usage. This will be a fourth vehicle, and will be only used for good times. No commuting, relatively low miles each year.
- Resale value. See above.
PARAMETERS
- $15k price tag. This can be a BIT flexible, but not much
- I already have a 2018 tundra to take the family on dirt roads and truck accessible back country locales. So on-road manners are not as important as off-road manners.
- Seating for 6, UNLESS fun factor is super high. For example, the wife would love to cruiser around town in a Jeep with no top on. The jeep, I mean.
MY THOUGHTS:
Option A) UTV. Can Am defender or Yamaha Viking, 6 seaters. My kids love riding in our friends sxs's. I asked them if they would rather do a land cruiser campout or a sxs campout...they couldn't have said "sxs" any faster. I live on a large property and could use a plow/dump bed (currently store my neighbors quad with a plow and little trailer we can use, so this isn't a must).
Pros: Super capable out of the box, minimal mods.
Cons: require towing, exposed to elements, hear that mods can be expensive, and HOLY CRAP ARE THESE THINGS EXPENSIVE.
Option B) another land cruiser. I've owned a bunch of these. Thinking hundred series, 2" lift, 33" A/T's, sliders.
Pros: I've already drunk deep from the kool-aid cruiser chalice. Like the drivetrain, fit the whole fam.
Cons: without extensive mods, am I opening up THAT many trails that the tundra can't do? Hard to find at my price point not super old/tons of miles
Option C) Jeep Rubicon.
Pros: fun factor HIGH. Out of the box capability.
Cons: limited options at $15k. No seating for the whole fam (wife not big into off-roading beyond what my tundra will do though, so moot point?) Chrysler reliability question marks?
Thoughts or recommendations?
Specifically, if I plan on selling the vehicle before I even purchase it, I will perhaps limit the amount of money that will be lost when I actually sell. For example, I bought my 97 lx450 stock, swore I'd keep it forever (for REAL this time!), proceeded to build it up awesome, sold it at a strong price, and still lost many thousands. I then bought an already built 2008 land cruiser, drove it a bit until the itch was scratched, and was able to sort of break even when I sold it. I liked that transaction better.
SO, with that background, here's what I'm after:
-Fun Factor - must get the whole family out (wife and 4 kids, ages 3-12). Fun trails, camping, and a fun vehicle itself. I have a dirt bike for my own thrill rides, this will be family oriented.
- Low maintenance. I hate wrenching. I'm bad at it, don't like it, won't do it. I'm skeptical of older vehicles. Also, I have a weird personality quirk where I have a low tolerance for problems - or potential problems. On the lx450, we replaced the complete brake system and cooling system, not because it failed, but because I accidentally found the nuts on ih8mud who scared me into all sorts of unnecessary preventative maintenance. In the future, I'd rather lose money in depreciation than repairs.
- Minimal mods. My heavily built 200 had a much tougher time on fins-n-things than the non-rubicon jku on 35's and 2" lift, which in turn had a much harder time than the rzr we we're with. Not only do I want to avoid the cost and effort of off road mods which will be lost on resell, I don't want to try and force a vehicle to be what the original engineers did not intend.
- Capable. I'm not a serious rock crawler, but this vehicle should be able to do most of the major Moab trails without super amazing driving skills or major damage.
- Usage. This will be a fourth vehicle, and will be only used for good times. No commuting, relatively low miles each year.
- Resale value. See above.
PARAMETERS
- $15k price tag. This can be a BIT flexible, but not much
- I already have a 2018 tundra to take the family on dirt roads and truck accessible back country locales. So on-road manners are not as important as off-road manners.
- Seating for 6, UNLESS fun factor is super high. For example, the wife would love to cruiser around town in a Jeep with no top on. The jeep, I mean.
MY THOUGHTS:
Option A) UTV. Can Am defender or Yamaha Viking, 6 seaters. My kids love riding in our friends sxs's. I asked them if they would rather do a land cruiser campout or a sxs campout...they couldn't have said "sxs" any faster. I live on a large property and could use a plow/dump bed (currently store my neighbors quad with a plow and little trailer we can use, so this isn't a must).
Pros: Super capable out of the box, minimal mods.
Cons: require towing, exposed to elements, hear that mods can be expensive, and HOLY CRAP ARE THESE THINGS EXPENSIVE.
Option B) another land cruiser. I've owned a bunch of these. Thinking hundred series, 2" lift, 33" A/T's, sliders.
Pros: I've already drunk deep from the kool-aid cruiser chalice. Like the drivetrain, fit the whole fam.
Cons: without extensive mods, am I opening up THAT many trails that the tundra can't do? Hard to find at my price point not super old/tons of miles
Option C) Jeep Rubicon.
Pros: fun factor HIGH. Out of the box capability.
Cons: limited options at $15k. No seating for the whole fam (wife not big into off-roading beyond what my tundra will do though, so moot point?) Chrysler reliability question marks?
Thoughts or recommendations?
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